Chelmsford City v Southend United, Pre-Season Friendly, Melbourne Community Stadium, Saturday 3rd August, 3pm kick-off.
One final pre-season test awaits Chelmsford City tomorrow as, for this second time this summer, National League opposition visit the Melbourne Community Stadium.
This time, Southend United travel up the A130 to provide a thrilling Essex derby as our season 2024/25 preparations draw to a close.
The last time a team from the tier above visited us at home was our 1-1 draw with Barnet on the 22nd of July, in which Kane Crichlow netted a debut goal.
Following on from Tuesday night’s 4-3 defeat to Witham Town in the Tolleshunt D’Arcy Memorial Cup final, Robbie Simpson’s side now have one final test before the new season gets underway against Slough Town on the 10th of August.
Opposition:
The Shrimpers have played five friendlies so far, winning the first three, before a home loss to Gillingham was most recently met with a 0-0 draw against Ballyfermot United.
Southend finished 9th in the National League last year and will look to hit the ground running at the peak of non-league football as they look to push on towards the top of the table.
Head Coach Kevin Maher captained the club to promotion twice during his playing years and has been eager to match that success from the dugout since he took over in 2021.
Maher did hold the interim managerial position at Melbourne in 2016, before he moved to Bristol Rovers and then eventually to Roots Hall.
Team News:
Following on from Tuesday’s game at the Simarco Stadium, Clarets Manager Robbie Simpson will assess the fitness of his squad.
Definitive team news will be published on club social media channels tomorrow, prior to kick-off.
Ticketing information:
Supporters should note that tickets are only being sold on matchday at the turnstiles at Melbourne Community Stadium. Turnstiles open at 12:30pm and we would like to advise those attending tomorrow’s game to arrive at the ground early, in order to avoid queues at the turnstiles. Cash or card payments are accepted. Ticket prices for Saturday’s match are as follows:
- Adults – £10
- Concessions – £5
- Under 12’s accompanied by a paying adult – Free
Additionally, season ticket holders should note they will be able to collect their season tickets prior to kick-off tomorrow from a collection point located in the entrance of the clubhouse.
How to follow the game:
Clarets fans can find pre-match coverage of Saturday’s match and live updates of proceedings in Essex by following the club’s X (formerly Twitter) page: @OfficialClarets and Instagram page: chelmsfordcityfc.
Match preview by Oliver Headington.
by